Refuse-collection device



May 28, 1935.

w. E. EHRlCK ET AL REFUSE COLLECTION DEVICE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 26, 195.4

INVENTOR; I/V-F. E/rrmk Garlerurf BY ATTORNEY.

May 28, 1935. w. F. EHRICK ET AL REFUSE COLLECTION DEVICE Filed July 26, 1954 5 sheets-sheet 3 W'A. Garveyck ATTORNEY;

75L illllIll'l'llrillrllrllllalllual May 28, 1935.

W. F. EHRICK ET AL REFUSE COLLECTION DEVICE Filed July 26, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 nelunuqu uwnmnwmnnm I N VENTOR.

May 28, 1935. w. F. EHRICK El AL REFUSE COLLECTION DEVICE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July 26, 1954 INVENTOR,

til/f m IQ fl-A. Gar/e rick ATTORNEY Patented May 28, 1935 2 PATENT OFFlCE REFUSE-COLLECTION DEVICE William F. Ehrick and Ralph Marion, Ohio, assignors to The Body Company, Marion,

of Ohio A. Garverick, Marion Steel- Ohio, a corporation Application Jilly 26, 1934, Serial No. 737,085 Claims. (Cl. 296-24) This invention relates to a truck adapted to be used for the collection of garbage and for similar 'purposes. Certain aspects of the invention may be realized in connection with stationary recep- 5 tacles for the deposit of garbage to be incinerated without transportation and in connection with vehicles other than motor vehicles, but its chief importance is realized in connection with motor vehicles designed for collection of garbageand the transportation thereof to the disposal plant.

As is well known, garbage disposal plants are often located at considerable distances from the cities which they serve. In such cases the transportation of the collected garbage is an important factor and the production of trucks having increased capacity is to be desired. Obviously the cubic capacity of vehicles of this type is limited by other considerations than the weight which can be transported. Among such factors are the need for an enclosed receptacular portion, the convenience of the workmen who operate it and the undesirability of reloading the collected garbage into a separate vehicle for transportation.

An object of our invention isto produce a device of this character which will have increased capacity; A further object is to provide for the removal of a portion of the moisture or liquid content of the garbage in the process of collection whereby to facilitate incineration orother disposal, and if desired to eliminate the need for transportation of such liquid content. Another object is to facilitate loading and unloading of the garbage. While, as indicated above, the utility of this vehicle is not limited strictly to the collection and transportation of garbage, it is designed with especial reference to that use and will be so described.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings, by the aid of which and the following description, other objects of the invention will become apparent, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a motor vehicle embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section taken substantially centrally through the receptacular portion thereof; Fig. 3 is a section corresponding substantially to the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; .Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken between the receptacular portion of the vehicle and the driver's station, looking inwardly; and

Fig. 5 is a section corresponding substantially to the line 5-5 ,of Fig. 1; Figs. 6, 7 and 8 show a modified compressor drive.

In the accompanying drawings, the numeral l0 indicates generally a conventional truck chassis comprising a frame II, a motor [2, a transmission l3 and the conventional cab, driver's seat,

steering mechanism, etc. Connected with the transmission I3 is a standard reversing power take-01f l4 including a control I5, a clutch l6, clutch control I! and universal joint l8. The vehicle is of course provided with the other stand- 5 am controls necessary to its operation as 2. vehicle. From the power take-01f M a shaft l9 drives a sprocket 20 through a second universal joint 2|.

Mounted upon the frame members H are a plurality of I beams 22 superposed upon which are wedge-shaped channels 23 which support the receptacular portion of the device.

The receptacular portion comprises a main wall element 26 provided with suitable channel shaped reinforcing bands 25 and front and rear end walls 26 and 21. Extending substantially the' entire length of the receptacular portion is a foraminous plate 28 which divides the same into an upper garbage receiving space and a liquid receiving tank. Onboth sides adjacent the top are openings 29 covered by closures 30, each being provided with a lower pair of rollers 3| working in lower tracks 32 and a pair of upper rollers 33 working in upper tracks 34. Each of these closures 25 is also provided with a handle 35. The rear wall consists almost entirely of an opening 36 covering by a closure 31 connected to the abbreviated wall by a hinge 38 and held in closed position by a latch 33 secured to that portion of the wall 21 30 which forms the rear wall of the tank. The tank may be drained by suitable outlet means 40 and may be protected against freezing by any suitable heating means such as a, portion of the exhaust pipe passing therethrough or in any suitable heating relation thereto.

Mounted in suitablefront and rear bearings 42 and fi3'are longitudinally extending screws 44,

each of which is threaded throughout substantially its entire length. Onthe front end of each of, the screws 44 is a suitable sprocket 45. I A compressor 46, consisting of a main plate provided with suitable reinforcing flanges ll/and 48 and a pair of reinforcing angle irons 43 and 50 as well as an angularly backwardly extending upper plate Iii and transverse members 52 provided with guide rollers 53, is secured in operative -relation to the screws 44 as by means of a pair of castings 54, each having an internally screw threaded boss 55 received thereon. 50

Mounted on the front wall 26 is a suitable shaft 56 upon which are journaled sprockets 51 and 58 having hubs which are integral or fixedly secured whereby they rotate together. A sprocket chain' 59 passes over the sprockets 45 and 51 55 and a second sprocket chain 69 passes over the sprockets 28 and 58.

A safety clutch throw-out is provided for arresting the motion of the compressor 46 at a predetermined limit at each end of a stroke. This mechanism comprises a pair of shafts 6i and 62 journaled through the main wall, each of which is provided with forks 63 and 64 within which one of the screws 44 is received and arms 65 and 66 external to the wall 24, said arms being connected by a bar 61. The forward arm 66 and forward end of the bar 61 are connected by means of a link 68 to a suitable mechanical or electrical device 69, which upon motion of the said arm 68 a suitable distance away from the neutral position causes a downward movement of a rod erator then sets the control lever l5 to the position for causing rearward motion of the compressor 46 and actuates the lever l1 into clutching position against the resistance of the drag link 12. The vehicle motor through the power take-off then operates to compress .the garbage toward the rear end of the receptacular portion.

After this quantity of garbage has been suitably compressed, the power take-off is de-clutched and reversed whereby to bring the compressor 46 again to full forward position. A further quantity of garbage is collected and introduced into the receptacular portion through the doors 40 and the same process is repeated. Successive portions of garbage may thus be compressed andcompression may be performed as many times during one loading operation as may be found suitable; Each compression will force a portion of the liquid content of the garbage through the perforated plate 28 into the tank therebeneath where it will be prevented from freezing as hereinbefore indicated. The load may then be transported to the garbage disposal plant with or without, emptying the liquid as sanitary regulations and liquid disposal facilities of the particular city may permit. Upon arrival at the disposal station, the latch 39 may bereleased and the control levers l5 and I! set for rearward motionof the compressor 46 whereupon the entire load will be discharged through the op ning in the rear wall 21. Upon motion of the compressor 46 to the end of its throw in either direction one of the elements 62 and 63 will bemoved whereby to de-clutch the power take-off.

In Figs. 6, 7, and 8' we have shown a modified form of compressor drive which is our present preferred drive.

In this form we take off from the power plant of the vehicle by means of a power take-off which need not be provided with any control means, a drive shaft I5 which may include one or more universal joints and by meansof such shaft impart driving motion to a sprocket 18 which is mounted on a bracket 11 carried by one of the channel members ll. Mounted on the wall 26 of the receptacular portion of the device is a plate I8 which carries a hollowshafi?" and a bracket element upon which is. mounted a second hollow shaft 8 I. The two hollow shafts 19 and 8| are in alignment and together form what we term a stub shaft or a composite stub shaft. Freely and independently mounted on the composite stub shaft, one on each portion thereof, are sprockets 82 and 83, capable of a limited motion longitudinally of the shaft. 5 Adjacent said sprockets are thrust collars 84 and 85, preferably having'ball bearings whereby to transmit the necessary thrust with the'minimum of friction. The thrust collars 84, 85 are controlled by yoke members 86 and 81, respectively, 10 pivotally mounted as indicated at 88 and 89 and operable by means of a control element 90 extending to a position to be conveniently accessible to the operator. J ournaied within the hollow shaft elements 19 and 8| forming the composite stub 15 shaft is a shaft 9| which carries a friction clutch element 92 keyed for rotation therewith. The shaft 9i carries a sprocket 93 which is connected by means of a sprocket chain 94 to the sprocket Also mounted on the wall 26 is a second stub shaft 94 upon which is mounted a hub 95 carrying sprockets 96 and 91 either integral or fixedly secured to said. hub for rotation together. The sprockets 96 and 91 are in alignment with those 25 82 and 83. A sprocket chain 98 passes over the sprockets 45 and under the sprocket 82 and thence over the sprocket 96 and under a suitable tighten-- ing element 99.

A sprocket chain I08 connects the sprockets 83 30 and 91 in driving relation.

It will be apparent that in operation the shaft 15 which is connected in driving relation with the power plant of the vehicle will impart rotation to the sprocket 16 which rotation will be transmitted 35 through the chain 94 to the sprocket 93. Rotation of the sprocket 93 will impart rotation to the clutch element 92 and consequently to that one of the sprockets 82 and 83 which has been moved into clutching relation thereto by means of the 40 control 90. If the clutch element 92 is connected to the sprocket 82', that sprocket will impart motion to the chain 98 in one direction and thereby rotate the sprockets 45 in one direction. If the element 92 is connected with the sprocket 83, ro- 45 tation of that sprocket will impart rotation through the chain i 09 to the sprocket 91 which in turn will impart rotation to the sprocket 96 and thereby impart motion to the chain 98in the other direction. Thus, by operation of a single control 50 mechanism 99 the compressor 46 can be caused to progress in either direction optional and to any. desired extent within the limits of its possible motion.

While we have shown and described the pre- 55 ferred embodiment of our invention, we wish it understood that the same is not limited to the details of' such embodiment but only in accordance with the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

fiaving thus described our invention, what we 80 claim is:

1. In combination, a motor vehicle having a completely enclosed receptacular body of substantially uniform internal cross-section, a plurality of screws within said body extending parallel with each other, through substantially the entire length of said body, passing through the front wall thereof and provided with driving means in front of said front wall, means for rotating said screws in 70 unisonin either direction, a compressor plate within said body, nuts non-rotatably carried by said compressor plate andreceiving said screws and a guide roller carried by the lower portion of said plate and positionedrearwardly of said nuts 75 and at all times insuring spacing of. said slightly from the bottom of said body.

2. In combination, a motor vehicle having a completely enclosed receptacular body of substantially uniform internal cross-section, a plurality of screws within said body extending parallel with each other, through substantially the entire length of said body, passing through the front wall thereof and provided with driving means in front of said front wall, reversible drive means for rotating said screws in unison in either direction, control means for starting, stopping and replate versing said drive means, a compressor plate within said body, nuts non-rotatably carried by said plate and receiving said screws and means rendered active by movement of the compressor plate beyond a predetermined point in either direction for automatically actuating said control means for rendering said screw rotating means inactive to rotate said screws to move said plate farther in that direction and manual means for operating said control means for starting and stopping said drive means independently of the position of said compressor plate, said automatic means preventing reversing of said drive means at said predetermined points only.

3. In combination with a motor vehicle having a receptacular body, a pair of screws journaled in said body, extending longitudinally thereof and having portions projecting through the front wall thereof, a compressorplate carrying nuts receiving said screws for movement of said plate back and forth therein, sprockets mounted on said projections forrotating said screws, a pair of spaced shafts mounted on said front wall each having a pair of sprockets rotatable thereon, the

pair of sprockets on one of said shafts being fixed together for rotation as a unit and those on the other being independently rotatable, a chain passing around said first two sprockets and having a reach passing under a sprocket of one of said, pairs and over a sprocket of the other said pair, a second chain passing around the remaining sprockets of said pairs, and means for selectively driving the sprockets of said independently rotatable pair.

4. In combination, a motor vehicle having a completely enclosed receptacular body of substantially uniform internal rality of screws within said body extending par,- allel with each other, through substantially the entire length of said body, passing through the front wall thereof and provided with driving means in front of said front wall, means for rotating said screws-in unison in either direction, a compressor plate within said body, nuts nonrotatably carried by said compressor plate and receiving said screws, transversely extending supporting means carried by said compressor plate adjacent its lower edge andguide rollers carried cross-section, a pluthereby and extending rearwardly beyond said a motor vehicle havpressed therein.

5. In combination with ing a receptacular body, a pair of screws journaled in said body, extending longitudinally thereof and having portions projecting through the front wall thereof, a compressor plate carrying nuts receiving said screws for movement of said plate back and forththerein, sprockets mounted on said projections for rotating said screws, 9. pair of spaced shafts mounted on said front wall each having a pair of sprockets rotatable thereon, the pair of sprockets on one of said shafts being fixed together for rotation as a unit and those on the other being independently rotatable, a chain passing around said first two sprockets and having a reach passing under a sprocket of one of said pairs and over a sprocket of the other said pair, a second chain passing around the remaining sprockets of said pairs, and means for selectively driving the sprockets of said independently rotatable pair, said compressor plate carrying adjacent its lower edge a guide roller extending rearwardly of said nuts for preventing unduetorsional strain thereon.

. F. EHRICK.

RALPH A. GARVERICK. 

